Betrayal
Translator: Cinder Translations
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The building was silent, not a sound to be heard, as if no one was there.
Suddenly—
"Town Chief!" A voice rang out from the other side, sharp and piercing, so much so that it was hard to tell whether it was from a man or a woman. "They're over there!"
Jiang Cheng and the others immediately turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw where the loli girl and the tall man had hidden.
The tall man, whether intentionally or for some other reason, was crouched in a smaller stone crack, which caused most of his body to be exposed.
This was just the right spot for the figure outside the window to spot him.
Not only that, but after being discovered, the tall man seemed completely flustered, and in the end... he strangely stood up.
This caused even the loli girl next to him to be exposed as well.
Outside, many shadows pressed up against the broken window, peering inside.
At least, it looked like they were human.
The leader was a muscular man in his forties, with a towering physique similar to the tall man. He had striking golden curly hair and a crossbow on his back.
After the tall man and the loli girl were discovered, the concealment of Jiang Cheng and the Young Master became meaningless.
Each of the people outside held a torch. Since they already knew there were people inside, it was only a matter of time before they came in to search, with no way to escape.
Moreover, judging by their size and strength, it was clear that in a fight, it would be their side that was at a disadvantage.
Seeing a few more people emerge, the golden-haired man's eyes lit up. He quickly explained that he was the acting town chief of Blackstone Town nearby.
They had come here after seeing the lighthouse light, knowing that more people had arrived.
Upon hearing the word "again," Jiang Cheng's eyes flashed.
The golden-haired man, acting like a responsible leader, did not barge in but instead stood outside, waiting. Jiang Cheng and the Young Master did not plan to be polite either, and the two groups began talking through the window.
"What do you mean by 'again'?" the Young Master asked. "Have you seen people like us before?"
"Yes," the golden-haired man nodded, then sighed. "But you are unlucky. You got lost and ended up here."
The loli girl interrupted, asking, "What's wrong with here?"
"Here..." The golden-haired man seemed to recall something, his expression turning fearful. After a few seconds, he continued in a low voice, "In any case, this is an ominous place. Anyone who enters will be cursed."
"What kind of curse?"
Behind the golden-haired man, a strangely dressed individual stepped forward. The others parted to make way, all expressions respectful.
"Your light will be taken, and you'll fall into eternal darkness. You will crawl through the winding and rugged ruins, surrounded by a swarm of vipers that gnaw at your broken body. You will feel pain but will not die. Your soul will be trapped in your body, watching it rot but unable to do anything. You can only crawl beneath its throne, begging for forgiveness from it, just like the betrayers who used blood..."
The strange man's voice had a chanting tone, like that of a poet from centuries ago. His entire body was covered in a black robe adorned with strange patterns.
As the Fatty stared at the patterns, a strange scene occurred. He saw the patterns move, twisting like snakes, rolling up into a mass, coming straight at him.
But just before it reached his face, everything vanished.
The strange man seemed to be a sorcerer or a priest. His words felt like some sort of prophecy, pale yet mysterious in their beauty.
After the strange man finished speaking, the Young Master and the loli girl wore contemplative expressions.
Only Jiang Cheng looked at the enigmatic man for a moment longer before turning to the golden-haired man, asking with a raised chin, "Come on, translate."
The golden-haired man hesitated, then slowly opened his mouth. "I think I've already said..."
The Young Master interrupted their conversation, glancing at the strange man before turning back to the golden-haired man. "What you're saying is, we're the betrayers?"
The golden-haired man nodded. "Yes, anyone who enters this building is considered a betrayer and will be cursed."
"Betray who?"
The golden-haired man fell silent again. It was clear he knew the answer, but he was too scared to speak.
It seemed that even uttering the name of that entity would be a form of blasphemy, bringing misfortune upon him.
"Alright," the Young Master stopped pressing the issue and asked, "Now, tell us about you. Where are you from?"
"Blackstone Town," a young man holding a torch answered. "We are all from Blackstone Town."
Earlier, the Fatty had felt something strange about these people. Not only did their speech sound awkward, but even their movements seemed...
In the next moment, his pupils trembled, and he finally noticed the problem.
What they said didn't match their lip movements!
It felt like watching a dubbed foreign film.
But in reality, this brought an overwhelming sense of fear and shock. The Fatty instinctively felt that these people were not human—they were all ghosts.
Or they had already died and were being controlled by ghosts as puppets.
He tried to alert the doctor without drawing attention.
But before his trembling hand could touch the doctor, the latter naturally grabbed his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.
The Fatty immediately stopped trembling.
The Young Master thought for a moment and continued, "Then..."
"Why does your city float on the sea? And why is it invisible during the day, only visible at night..."
The tall man suddenly spoke, his voice sounding like it was still in the middle of puberty, making it very unpleasant to hear.
Before he could finish, the loli kicked him sharply on the knee.
The situation instantly became tense.
That suddenly appearing city must have some mystery, and the people who came were even stranger. Questioning them so directly might cause trouble.
After all, no one knew whether the people outside were friends or foes.
Once—
"Yes," the golden-haired man sighed deeply, looking at the others before speaking slowly. "Our town is indeed just like what you've seen—floating on the sea, and it only appears at times like this," he paused, then continued, "Because, like you, we are all cursed."
After the loli girl ordered the tall man to be silent, she couldn't help but ask, "Did you enter this building too?"
At these words, the golden-haired man and his companions all darkened, their eyes dimming with a deep sense of helplessness and despair.
It was hard to describe the state, but the Fatty could feel it—there was an overwhelming sense of powerlessness and hopelessness coming from them.
After several seconds, the golden-haired man finally lifted his head and rasped, "This building... is one we built."
The loli girl was stunned. "Why?"
"To survive."
(End of the Chapter)
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